Wishfull-star: Zoro done fucked up and doesn't know it. (￢_￢;)

Kae Membrana: Hehe, lots of problems when Luffy is thirsty to come...

Luffy couldn't help the smile of pride. Zoro lost, but he gained respect and acknowledgment from his ambition. Then the man looked down on Luffy, and asked what he aimed for. "Pirate King!" Luffy snapped.

"A tough path indeed. Even tougher than surpassing myself."

Luffy was a bit offended. "Whatever! I'm going to do it anyway!" Hawkeye just looked amused, and said they were a strong duo. And would go far. Luffy had nothing to grab onto to launch his way over, so Yosaku was moving them back closer. Luffy couldn't swim, after all. He was glad Kreig was done, he didn't need to worry about him at all. And his underlings were defeated and their ship was destroyed. They were no threat. "Usopp, is he okay?" Luffy shouted.

"No way! But he's alive, barely conscious, and bleeding a lot!"

Zoro's arm thrust up, holding his only sword left straight in the air. Luffy was surprised. And his arm wasn't even shaking, despite the pain he was no doubt feeling. Instead, what was shaking was the rest of him. In tears that he was just barely holding off.

"Luffy! C-Can you hear me?" he asked. Luffy replied that he could as the ship got closer. Zoro didn't wait for him to be near to speak. "I'm sorry for worrying you… I know that if I don't become the strongest swordsman, that I'll only embarrass you!" Luffy didn't protest, letting him speak. "I SWEAR! That I'm never going to lose again!" His tears were audible by now. "Until the day I fight him and win, I swear to never lose again!"

Luffy beamed, finally letting tears out. Mostly relief. Zoro was alive, and wasn't planning on leaving. But the feelings of hurt and now skepticism were still strong. Just underneath the extreme level of relief that flooded into him. Zoro would live and keep that vow.

"Any problems, Pirate King?!" he finished.

"Shishishi, nope!" He looked up at Hawkeye when he said they'd make a good team. "I'd like to see you two again in the future." Luffy glared at him. The ship came over, and Luffy jumped inside, looking at Zoro frantically, not knowing what to do. Jonny and Usopp were treating the wound as best as they could, with bandages and sanitary wipes. It wasn't enough. He needed stitches, it was bleeding badly.

"We should go now, catch up to Nami. Are you okay to go? We can see if there's treatment here," Luffy said. He didn't know what to do, how to navigate this situation. Zoro said he'd be fine. The bleeding would stop soon. He tiredly asked about the chef. "He's decided not to come. We'll have to look somewhere else," Luffy replied sadly.

But Sanji was there again. "Don't count me out. I was just getting my stuff." Luffy looked questioning. "I'll be your cook, and accompany you on your journey." Luffy beamed, and said they were definitely going to find the All Blue. Sanji grinned back. He's already said his goodbyes to Zeff. "He's actually a nice guy if he's not insulting you." Luffy was happy about Sanji, but still upset about the Zoro stuff. They would go after Nami. Luffy could smell the path from the boat, it wasn't far at all from them. He'd lead them there. He just had to make it that long. However long it would take.

They ended up moving to a better boat, Sanji helping to lift Zoro up carefully, and on their way. They were nearly out of earshot when they all heard, "Don't catch a cold."

Tears welled up in Sanji's eyes. Everyone on that little boat had cried very recently. Zoro was asleep now, exhausted and in pain. Sanji tearfully thanked him one more time, thanking all of them for taking care of him. Luffy smiled lightly at his tearful goodbye and vow to never forget their kindness.

The other chefs were shouting out tearful goodbyes, even though they'd all been assholes to Sanji. Well, maybe Luffy shouldn't judge too harshly. They were a weird family. But his family was definitely weird, and his new family strange as well. His face fell when he looked at Zoro and all of the blood.

There was no way he'd take any more blood from Zoro. And he didn't want to scare Usopp. He'd deal with it, they just had to catch up to the ship and get the blood bags. Luffy knew if he went any longer, he'd drink too much for anyone's safety. He just had to hold on until they got to the Going Merry and he could down all of the bags he had left.

Nami, please wait for us.

-x-

Luffy sat at the other side of the boat from where Zoro was resting. He had his knees to his chest, and just wanted to be left alone. Well he didn't really, but he also didn't want to talk to anybody. Sanji was making food in the small cabin, the ship feeling very crowded for six people. Luffy stayed in the back, leaning his head against the railing. He gratefully ate the food Sanji made them all, looking pretty happy and satisfied with his choice to come, which was a huge relief.

Zoro woke up later, and asked where Luffy was. He sounded confused. Why wasn't he beside him? He listened as Usopp replied harshly. "He's isolated himself on the other side of the ship."

"Wha- why?" Zoro asked, voice tired but confused.

"You're an idiot. First of all, we should have gone after the ship immediately to try and get back Luffy's medication before it was taken away. You chose to stay and fight over getting Luffy's fucking meds back. And now, even if you could have helped before, now you've lost way too much for him to do anything.

"Oh, and then you chose to die instead of taking a loss like a man, pretty much tossing Luffy in the bin, while you also told Hawkeye that the only reason you were here was for your ambition. In short, Luffy probably feels like shit right now," Usopp said savagely. He was furious. Luffy was glad he said everything and Luffy didn't need to. He didn't need to see his face either.

Sanji was sitting on the deck between both ends. "Luffy, let me talk to you, please," Zoro called. Luffy didn't answer, looking away. "Please!"

Usopp ushered everyone inside, cramming four people inside to give them space. Luffy walked over and sat next to him, but didn't make eye contact. Luffy was already feeling the effects of stress and anxiety, as well as it being nearly five days since he'd taken any blood. He just felt kind of hollow. Not cheerful and happy like usual. Just empty, while also full of emotions.

"Luffy… I'm so sorry about everything Usopp said. I didn't mean to throw you away or say you weren't important. I just… got carried away. And then I cost you your meds by being stubborn and inconsiderate. I'm so sorry."

He took Luffy's hand and kissed the knuckle. He couldn't really move, but was sat up. Luffy looked away. "Luffy?" Zoro asked in worry.

"I don't want to feed off you anymore," he said quietly. "I don't really know anymore if it was all just from that. Maybe I somehow seduced you with it. I don't want to do that anymore. Sorry."

Zoro looked so upset. "It wasn't because of that, I swear. I… I… I love you, okay?" he said shyly, face red. Luffy loved him too, but couldn't bring himself to say it back.

"Okay." Zoro winced. "I'm sorry, I'm just not sure it's real… I got too carried away with everything. I thought too much and I didn't mean to be annoying or anything. I don't want you to leave because of that stuff."

"I'll prove it to you, okay? I promise. And I'm not upset about the not feeding, I'm just sad that I have you convinced it was never real. It was very real. It still is very real." Luffy just nodded. He sounded so convicted, so maybe he would prove it. For now, Luffy just needed some space. Zoro respected that, and didn't push, which the youngest was glad about.

-x-

Nobody knew when Nami's island would approach, they were just following Luffy's scent, when Usopp was pretending to look at the map and compass while checking in with Luffy every few minutes. The guests didn't need to know, Sanji didn't need to know. But after day two, Luffy was definitely growing sick.

His mouth was dry despite any water, he felt cold even in the sun, things were getting blurry every few minutes, and he felt like he hadn't eaten in months, despite having food each day and each meal. The three newbys were shocked by what was happening to Luffy without his medication.

Zoro and Usopp were terrified, wanting to get there already. Zoro was getting better as Luffy was getting worse. He had a splitting headache, and to the others he looked gaunt. Like he was a cancer patient. Zoro had his head in his lap, hating himself deeply. It was his fault Luffy was going so long without any blood. If Nami had just heard them, she would have given it back.

That's at least what Luffy thought. Zoro and Usopp weren't so faithful, blaming her completely for this. She took everything they had. Everything. Including Luffy's blood bags and all of Usopp's personal items. The pictures of his mother, her last letter to him. He was really angry about that, too. It felt like there was a giant chasm that ripped apart inside the crew.

Sanji wasn't getting a good glimpse into the lives of being with them on the crew. Luffy wasn't the cheerful guy he had been being, he was ill and dying. Zoro and Usopp weren't laughing or joking like that had been at the restaurant, they were furious and Zoro was in pain. He'd attempted to stitch himself up, which did not go well with the crew, so the wound was just wrapped in thick bandages.

By day four, Luffy was comatose, breathing but not waking up at all, no matter what happened around him. Everyone was terrified they'd get to Nami, only for her to realize she'd murdered Luffy. He didn't want to die. But this was terrifying and humbling. He was nothing without blood. That was his life force, not food or water. He wouldn't die without that, but this was getting very real.

Luffy could actually die, on this dingy ship, cutting his dream off almost before it even began.

Luffy was asleep even as a large cow sea king came out to eat their food, or them themselves, who knew? Sanji knocked it out and he and Usopp tied a rope around it's head, the beast following their route to Cocoyashi Village. After heading in one straight line towards that place, they knew Nami was going there and they didn't need Luffy's nose anymore.

When they finally arrived, after tense and extremely uncomfortable days, they searched the coast and found the Going Merry docked at the edge of a cliff. Usopp draped Luffy over his back, him being very light, and they climbed a rope ladder onto the Merry and rushed inside to get Luffy the blood.

Sanji wasn't allowed inside, and neither were the other two. Zoro propped Luffy up, and tilted his head back while they poured all eleven bags of blood down his throat. He swallowed, but didn't wake up for another hour. After that, his color came back faster, and he was soon feeling better, sitting up with his head in his hands.

Zoro had his arm around him, but wasn't touching too much. He was respecting Luffy's need for some space, but also wasn't just leaving him. The youngest was so glad he was understanding Luffy's current feelings. It was a relief to not have drama with this. It showed Zoro was dedicated to being with Luffy.

Maybe after things were back to normal and Nami was back, that could be enough.

Luffy stood up slowly, and walked around. "That was really bad," Luffy said simply. "I'm sorry I scared you," he added to both of his nakama. Usopp nodded and hugged Luffy. Zoro hugged him slowly, but Luffy hugged him as tight as he could without hurting him. "How's the cut feeling?" Luffy asked.

Zoro shrugged, and didn't wince. "It stings a bit and aches, but otherwise it's fine. I'm just glad you're okay. You were in a much worse situation than I was." Usopp agreed. Luffy smiled brightly. He was glad they were all okay.

"Now we can go beat up Arlong and help Nami!" he said. He felt energized, and positive. Still upset Nami left, and sad about Zoro, but those feelings were on the backburner. Zoro was here and completely okay with Luffy's feelings being more hesitant. And he hadn't once looked annoyed or disappointed that Luffy wasn't going to feed off him. For now, or forever, he didn't know.

It wasn't like Luffy didn't really enjoy that time, he just wanted to make sure Zoro, if he did like Luffy truly, liked him not because of how pleasurable the feeding was. Zoro held his hand as they walked back out on deck, the three others on the wall. Luffy came out happily.

"I live!" he said enthusiastically.

"Big bro Luffy! You're okay!" Yosaku and Jonny cried. Luffy hugged them back, saying he was back and in shape. "Are you sure? You were really sick. That's some miracle drugs!" Luffy laughed and agreed. Sanji looked relieved and sighed.

"You're high maintenance, aren't you?"

"What did you say?" Zoro snapped.

Sanji scowled at him. "You're the reason he got sick in the first place."

"It was Nami's fault! She started it!" Zoro shot back.

"No! You guys shouldn't fight, you're supposed to get along!" Luffy said, upset that they already were at each other's throats about him. He didn't want that. "And don't fight over me, I'm okay, now. We can move on from this." They were still hostile. "Pleeeeaassseee," he begged. Zoro looked down and away.

"Fine. As long as he doesn't insult you again." Luffy nodded, knowing that was probably as good as it was going to get. "Now, where the hell is that trai- where is Nami?" Zoro said Luffy's frown at him. Luffy smelled the air, and said he could find her. They got off of the ship, the sea cow long gone, and looked around.

Sanji was smoking and asked, "So, why are your senses so good, anyways? You could tell Krieg was there long before they actually came into view. Is that another devil fruit? I thought you could only have one." Luffy grinned.

"Shishishi, it's a secret!" Usopp made a haughty look. Now that he was in the loop, he was much happier. Sanji scowled.

"Sorry, Sanji, you'll find out once you're more used to life here," Usopp sneered. Zoro hit him, snapping that he was only just in the loop. "Yeah, but I am now." Sanji was seething. Luffy didn't respond other than to laugh. Then he told them all to hide and be quiet. They ran behind trees and all were silent as a fishman passed.

Luffy's mouth was in an "o" shape. He'd never seen a fishman before! A very pale brue guy with fins on his arms with two buns on his head. They waited for him to pass and get out of view before they continued their ways to Nami. "Man, that is really useful, isn't it, big bro?" Yosaku said brightly.

Sanji agreed. "So, how far can you hear and smell anyways?" He didn't sound pushy, but just lighty curious. Luffy honestly had never tried to find out. "What's the longest you've been able to smell?" he wondered.

He contemplated telling the truth, and decided to do it. "That's how we got here. Cause I could smell our ship." The bounty hunter's mouths dropped open, and Zoro grinned, moving to kiss Luffy only to pull away, remembering what things were now. Nobody said a thing even though they all saw it. But Sanji was surprised, shocked, about the fact Luffy followed Nami's trail all the way here, for days. Wouldn't the scent disappear? There were winds, currents in the water to blow the smells away. Right?

"Well, I don't know. I just could," he replied simply. "But it's awesome we have a ship with a shower, right? Cause we all smelled bad. Nami, too, though she'll deny it. Shishishi," Luffy laughed.

Sanji said, "Never insult a lady in front of me." Luffy raised his brows. "Nami-san is so perfect and beautiful, a complete angel I won't let anyone ever insult her. Understand?!" Zoro said he would definitely never be with Nami. "And why not?"

Luffy said it was a secret. "Stop with the secrets!"

"You'll have to earn the answers, Sanji-kun," Usopp teased. Man, he was really liking being in the loop while Sanji wasn't. Luffy raised his hand to silence them. The village was near, and Nami was there. He led them behind the buildings, which were all badly damaged, and went up the hill, finding an orchard of tangerines.

Zoro commented that Nami said she only liked money and tangerines. "Now we know why for both. Don't - if you pick one you know she'll murder you for real this time." Luffy frowned at him disapprovingly. He gave them an order to not be mean to her about it. "I don't see why you're not angry about it. You could have died," Zoro said sourly.

Luffy frowned. "I don't blame any of you for my condition. I don't blame you, Zoro, for being clueless. And I know Nami would never have done that to me on purpose. All this time, she hasn't been lying about her feelings for us. When people lie, their heart beats get a lot louder. She doesn't lie," Luffy said firmly.

He sighed, and Usopp vowed that he wouldn't bring it up first. "Even if I'm still angry about her taking it all. My things included, I want to hear her reasoning in person." Jonny and Yosaku were sour about her pushing them off the ship and ditching with their money. They went through the orchard, and Luffy asked Jonny and Yosaku to stay out.

He would keep Sanji with them. He was part of the crew, in the loop or not, so shunning him from this wouldn't be right. Luffy knocked on the front door of the house. Nami opened it, looking sick and tired. "Yo! We're he-" she hugged him, and started to apologize. "I'm alive. Yeah, it was messy, but I'm better now."

Zoro and Usopp glared at her, and she bristled. "I'm part of the crew now, too, Nami-san!" Sanji chimed happily.

They went inside, and Luffy sat on the floor. "You know I said I'd help you, right? Why didn't you accept it?" he asked. He didn't sound sad, just a bit confused and curious. She quietly said she didn't want to drag them into her mess.

"Tough. We're here," Zoro said. She looked at his wound, and asked what happened. "I lost a duel." He said it with finality, clearly not wanting to talk about it anymore. "Now, tell us why you stole the ship and everything on it?" the green haired teen said, sitting down against the wall like he usually did on the ship.

She sighed. "I needed the money. At first I thought I could sell it. I need the money, okay?!" she said defensively when Zoro and Usopp glared. That was their home after all. She also looked ashamed. Luffy didn't glare. Luffy pointed to his own shoulder, looking at hers. He asked for her to explain everything. "I… I can't. I don't want to drag you in, this is my problem! Just, just take the ship and go away."

Luffy laid down. "Nope," he said. Zoro said he was overdue for a nap, now that Luffy was back to being healthy. Usopp had his bag of weapons with him. Well, his sling shots and different balls. Sanji asked if there was anything he could cook for her.

"I know some citrus treats that could be made easily," he said lightly. She was very frustrated with their polite refusal to back off. Polite, but definitive. She clenched her fists hard, cutting her palms with her nails before she took a deep breath.

She began quietly, but her voice got stronger and angrier the longer she spoke. The longer her story was. It was tragic. Arlong took control of the village, killed Nami's mother in front of her, then forced her to make maps for them and get them money to pay it all off. To buy the village. Luffy was angry, too. His face didn't show it, but he was very angry. She started to cry, looking at her terrible tattoo with hate. "Help me…" she said quietly, voice full of despair. Zoro smiled, and said she never had to ask.

"Friends help each other, don't they?" Luffy asked. Usopp was grinning and Sanji quickly finished a tangerine smoothie for all of them. Nami's cup had the most. Nami looked more ashamed. "Don't apologize anymore."

"But… you could have-"

"Really. I'm okay now. I'm alive, aren't I?" he asked. He wanted to move on from this. He knew it was upsetting for all of them, and they each felt guilty in their own way, but he wanted to just move on. "Captain's orders, nobody can be upset about that again. I'll be a lot more careful from now on."

Sanji looked a bit frustrated with not knowing. Unlike with Usopp, they were very clear that there was some secret. They weren't hiding that there was one, just not saying what it was. Sanji asked for more information on the pirates. So they knew what they were going up against. "We already saw a fishman with fins on his arms. And we know what Arlong looks like. I've never met a fishman before, though." The other three men agreed. Luffy was shocked by the guy's appearance.

"I always imagined them with human legs and a fish body."

Usopp said, "How would any function like that?"

"Hmm, good point. Do they all look weird? Different?" Luffy wondered.

Nami nodded. "All fishmen look different. It seems they look more diverse than even humans. They have marine life traits. Fishmen are super strong, and they can breathe underwater. If you fall in the water, you'll be dead for sure."

"Ah, well, I'd be dead anyways. Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. Nami narrowed her eyes, seeming not to understand how Luffy could be so carefree. But then she relaxed with a sigh. The door opened behind them, a girl with purple hair holding both of the bounty hunters by their hair.

"Nami, we have tres- who're they?"

"My crew," Nami said, a real note of pride and relief in her voice. "They've vowed to help me - us. This is my sister, Nojiko," she added. Nojiko leaned against the doorway, smiling. She dropped Jonny and Yosaku down. The woman, seeming to be older than Nami by a few years, had a thoughtful look on.

"It sure is strange for Nami to change her view completely in only a few hours. She was adamant to not let you help. Something change?"

Luffy laughed. "I have a way with words. Shishishi." Zoro snorted, and Sanji shook his head. Nami just smiled. Nojiko thanked them for being there for her.

"Well, she was there for me, too. And Luffy," Usopp pointed out simply. "Just doing what friends do, right?" Nami nodded. "So is the plan to just… smash through the front door and beat 'em all? Cause captain brave warrior Usopp can totally lead that mission!" Luffy laughed. The boys all thought barging in would be the best, but Nami was unsure.

She was sure they would be beaten by Arlong. He was strong. Zoro was fresh off of a defeat, so he seemed a bit discouraged. A bit unconfident. He also only had one sword, so he was limited greatly. "We can buy you new swords for the Grand Line," Luffy said, rocking back and forth. Zoro looked thoughtful for a moment.

Then he said, surprising everyone, "This sword belonged to my childhood friend, Kuina. She wanted to be the greatest swordsman, too, but couldn't because she was a girl. So we dueled every night to see who was better. She won every time. But she died, falling down some stairs and breaking her neck. Since then, beating Mihawk was both of our dreams." He looked at Luffy. "Though my dream is a bit different now."

Luffy let out a smile, and Nami wondered why he told them that. "I know all about your guy's pasts. I thought I should finally return the favor," he said softly, giving a loving look to Luffy. He looked away, but couldn't help the blush. To her credit, Nami didn't ask about Luffy's odd behavior.

"Anyways, what is the plan?" Usopp asked.

"Barge in and scare them off!"

"I'm sure we can do it if you go, y'know, again."

Luffy wasn't sure about that. Sanji took a long drag of his cigarette in complete irritation with them being so vague about the secret. Taking a much different approach than they had with Usopp. But it was hard to hide it when Luffy was dying from blood starvation and using extremely sensitive senses to travel across the sea.

But, to his credit, he didn't push for it. He was irritated, but not openly impatient. Nami took her staff and stood up. "Let me talk about it one more time. You guys stay here. I know I have nearly enough money. Maybe… maybe you don't have to fight," she said, voice shaky. Very scared for them.

Nojiko frowned, but moved aside when Nami walked out. Luffy wondered what they should do now. "Tell me about your adventures with her. She was so happy talking about you all," Nojiko said, sitting where Nami had been at the table.

A bit later, Nami came back, cheerful. "Maybe you don't need to fight. I'm so close, one more trip away should be enough! You said you would help me get the money right?" she asked Luffy. Everyone in the room frowned.

"Nami, they're not going to keep their word," Usopp said quietly. "They're the bad kind of pirates. You shouldn't trust them." Her face fell, and she clutched her staff tighter. She knew that, it was clear. But she didn't want any of them to get hurt for her sake. The other men didn't say anything to disagree with that. Their silence was enough.

Nami sat down. "I… need some time to think about it. Come back in an hour," she said softly. Luffy didn't like her sounding so sad and defeated. But they left, agreeing to give her time to think, even if the outcome would be the same regardless. The Arlong pirates needed to be driven out with force.

They went into town and were immediately demanded to know where they came from. "We're friends with Nami," Luffy said simply. He gasped. "Why does that man have a pinwheel on his head?!"

"Why does that matter?" Sanji asked.

"Because it's cool! I wonder if my hat can hold that, too." He took his hat off and looked at the ribbon. Too tight to stick something in between it and the hat. He didn't want to mess with his hat, so he sadly would not attempt to make it cool with a pinwheel.

"Whoa, interesting hair," Sanji said. Luffy put his hat back on. "Anyways, where's the market? Once we set sail I want to know where to go for food," the chef said casually. They were looked upon by many eyes with open suspicion and hostility.

Pinwheel man left for something, and the four went to the market, where Zoro bought a bottle of alcohol. "Don't you think you should go to a doctor for that?" Usopp asked, pointing at Zoro's bandaged chest.

"Nah, the treatment will take too long. I'll just wait until after," he said casualy. Sanji called him stupid. He scowled back. It looked like they wouldn't get along like Luffy had initially hoped and predicted. Well, as long as the rest got along, then one relationship not working was okay. They'd all get used to it.

Luffy thought that Sanji would be chill about Luffy's condition. After they bought some food, they went back to the house. But when they were walking on their way, Zoro keeping Luffy from running off to follow all of the delicious smells, he heard a lot of people approaching, and turned around to walk backwards, wondering what it was.

But when they came into view, Luffy's brows raised. "There's a bunch of marines here. I wonder why?" he mused. The others turned around, seeing just how many there were. Usopp said they should get back to the house and not get into any trouble with them. It would be inconvenient to have fishmen and marines on them at the same time.

Zoro looked at his single sword and glared. Luffy pat his back. "Don't worry I bet there's places near the Grand Line to buy swords. We won't go unless you get new ones," Luffy assured with a grin. Zoro smiled and nodded. He admitted only having one sword would probably be a challenge, but he'd take it on. "Shishishi, I know!"

When they were walking back to Nami's house, they found the marines going the same direction, led by the pinwheel man. They four hurried and ran to the house. Sanji slammed the door open, startling Nami and Nojiko. Nami was about to complain about them not waiting a full hour before she saw their faces.

"Marines are coming to your house!" Usopp said. "What do we do?!"

"Stay calm, they don't know we're pirates yet. Besides, the marines must have been called here! Maybe they're finally going to help us!" Nami said, sounding desperate for that to be accurate. It seemed none of them had the heart to disagree. If that were the case, pinwheel man would have been happy, not hiding his face with a resigned frown.

Usopp hid under the table, not wanting to fight marines. Didn't want a wanted poster! Luffy didn't know what the right action would be. Should they fight them but make it less likely to fight Arlong easily? Thinking was hard and his face started to turn red and sweat. Sanji told him to stop thinking so hard. "I'm trying to decide whether to fight or not!"

"Depends on what they're here for," Zoro said, leaning against the wall but looking out the window. "If they want to cause problems, then we'll act. If they're here to help, we'll do nothing for now." The others nodded, and Nami told them to stay inside. Even though they'd no doubt already been sighted.

Nami left to greet them, the boys staying inside. The main man beside pinwheel man introduced himself as captain Nezumi of the marines' 16th branch. He seemed weak, just by a single glance. "You must be Nami, the criminal." Those inside all tensed, grabbing their weapons.

"Criminal? Well, I guess that's true considering how I am a pirate." Luffy didn't know if she meant their crew or Arlong's. Then she pointed out her position in Arlong's crew. She was only putting up a front. He could tell in her voice. It hitched at the end, and he could hear her grind her teeth after saying it.

It really was nice being able to hear things like that! Super convenient! Maybe someday he could trick people into thinking he could read their minds, or see the future. He was back in the real world when it became apparent of what was going to happen. Nami's treasure, all that work, would be taken away from her.

Sanji hissed, "This is Arlong's doing. It's too convenient of a time." They nodded, and Luffy had his hand on the door handle, holding it tightly, very angry, but not showing it. Nami started to get angry and hysteric, so they got out of the house, and all of them stood behind her, wearing their best glares.

Arms crossed, sword drawn. "You're not taking Nami's money, Arlong's lackeys," Zoro sneered. "How pathetic. A marine working with a pirate that kills innocent people. Are you that desperate for money? What, are you too weak to get a paycheck?" the swordsman snapped, a haughty smile on.

Nezumi, the rat man, glared, and ordered the men to find the treasure. "You're not taking that money! I need it, it's mine!" Nami shrieked, and started attacking the marines, which was the go ahead for the other pirates, who launched at them, beating them senseless, especially when they moved to dig up Nami's precious trees.

They pulled no punches, and there was no way anyone could tell Luffy had recently been near death, and that Zoro had a huge wound that wasn't properly treated. Genzo was angry, too, the pinwheel man that was friends with Nami.

Nami had been lying the whole time about why she was with Arlong, thinking she was fooling the villagers. But they'd known what she was doing all along. They all knew and weren't mad at her.

Nezumi was punched in the face by Luffy when he alluded to working with Arlong all along. He jumped him and pushed him down, furious but not out of control. He ripped up the ground and shoved him in, slamming him in so he was buried deep. Only his head was out. "You're not going anywhere," he said simply.

"Guys, protect Nami's money and trees!"

"You don't gotta ask us!" Sanji said, and they beat up the rest of the marines. Only Nezu was awake by the end, cursing them. Zoro walked up to him and stepped on his face. He promised they'd be coming to take care of him in a little bit.

"Try hard to escape if you can. You'll have a furious demon after you. Our navigator isn't exactly the forgiving type." So, he wasn't talking about Luffy. Nami fell to her knees, and couldn't stop crying, digging at the dirt. Her money wasn't stolen, but now she knew that it never mattered. All that work, and it wouldn't matter at all. Arlong wasn't going to let her win.

She grabbed a rock off the ground and started slashing at her tattoo, seeming to forget there were people all around her. She was lost in grief and anger. Luffy grabbed the hand with the rock, stopping her tearing apart her arm anymore, even if that ugly tattoo was still there. "Help me…!" she sobbed.

"I told you a long time ago that I would. I'm not taking that back." He turned to the guys. "We're going." He took his hat off, and put it on Nami's head. Her comfort was more important than his dislike of his hair. Who cared if people looked? She was surprised, and Luffy turned around. "Let's go."